Whirlpool

Hi all,

I am looking at buying the Billion 7401 VGP-M but before I do I have a few questions for all the gurus out there.

I currently have a DLink 302g (modem/router) in PPPoA with disabled NAT going into a Dlink 624+(wireless;4 port router) which does all the NAT/firewalling/Portforwarding and DHCP to my 2 computers one wired and one laptop which is wireless.

Previously on my 302g with NAT enabled the unit itself would LOCK UP when utorrent was used as I suspect the NAT table became over flooded and hence the lock-up.

1. Does the billion 7401VGPM have NAT issues in particular with P2P clients such as Utorrent or others. What is the NAT table like and where can I find info on this such as its limitation, etc?
2. Silly question but does the 7401VGPM do PPPoA and PPPoE?
3. Does anyone have the manual for the 7401VGPM

Any other bugs issues you have come across with this 7401VGPM, I would like your honest opinion.

Thnx all :)

©£ONeST@® writes...

I am looking at buying the Billion 7401 VGP-M

Ditto - so I'll keep an eye on this thread with interest.

(I'm interested in VOIP so I wish to upgrade from my Netgear DG834g (V1))

1. Supposed to be a lot better. A search in these forums should dig up similar threads.
2. Yes, PPPoA and PPPoE are available.
3. The manual is at www.billion.com.au/support/bipac7401vgp.php
The M is just a slightly newer model that supports Annex M upload, but everything else is the same.

©£ONeST@® writes...

Does the billion 7401VGPM have NAT issues in particular with P2P clients

I'm not a big P2P user, but all information I have suggests this model router is comparatively good for P2P purposes.

2. Silly question but does the 7401VGPM do PPPoA and PPPoE?
3. Does anyone have the manual for the 7401VGPM

Yes, it does both PPPoA and PPPoE - see here (from the Quick Start menu - link below): www.clearnet.com.au/xcar...quick_start.html

See here for manual and configuration screens: www.clearnet.com.au/xcar...llion_Test_Drive

See a user review of the 7401VGP here: www.ozbargainblog.com/20...l2-router-review

©£ONeST@® writes...

Does the billion 7401VGPM have NAT issues in particular with P2P clients

All budget routers have nat problems, some more than others.
I have 3 billions in the family, and you need to limit the number of connections in BT to get around the nat problems.

derekmorton writes...

I have 3 billions in the family, and you need to limit the number of connections in BT to get around the nat problems.

What sort of limitation are we talking about?

200, 100, 50 or 10?

©£ONeST@® writes...

What sort of limitation are we talking about?
1500 for the Billion 740x series, works fine with uTorrent ;)

I am also looking at this one.

Is port triggering an essential feature or will the 7401VGP do the trick?

I am thinking of going with iinet (apparently adsl2 is enabled on the Victoria park exchange in Perth)

I want a physical Ethernet connection for my computer (my last experience with wireless was a nightmare especially trying to to play battlefield 2)

And wireless connections for house mates with laptops. (Which I want to rate limit so I can actually play battlefield)

This seems like the best option - any comments?

mullmans writes...

Is port triggering an essential feature
Nah, the Billion uses port ranges.

Or just use UPnP.

I'm thinking of getting the 7401VGPM for VOIP. I am currently using Netgear DG834g (V1) latest firmware. The netgear has performed well. Sync: 7616/384, D Att 41 db, D noise margin 8, speed tests about 800Kb/s.
Is it possible a change of modem could alter this performance? (For the better or for the worse)

Yes, but the Billion should be better than 834 v1. v1 is old

Chicken writes...

Yes, but the Billion should be better than 834 v1. v1 is old

Thanks for your help. I'll order one!

There is also a 6404vgp
Anyone have experience with these?

I am also looking at a 7401VGP_m but saw these.

It has a gateway feature apparently. pros, cons?

Looking at playing with VoIP too, but good connection and low latency are higher priorities.

Well I have ordered one and should be arriving later this afternoon.

What is the latest firmware for this model?

What's the cheapest I can get the 7401VGPM for? and where?

Davester writes...

There is also a 6404vgp
Anyone have experience with these?

This does not have ADSL modem inside, so it requires a separate ADSL modem

PLooB writes...

What's the cheapest I can get the 7401VGPM for? and where?

Use price search engines like OzPriceGuide and AusPrices and Static Ice and ShopBot

Well thank you chicken for a great modem/router.

The 7401 VGPM has turned out to be everything I could want and with great stability and speeds :)

Just a simple question to all the gurus out there.

1. I notice something uploading and downloading from modem/router every few seconds or so small values about 0.1KB/s on upload and download. I did not notice this with my previous router modem. Does anyone know what this is? Is it the modem communicating with my computer?

Thnx all :)

EDIT:

I worked it out.

It was utorrent sites trying to get in after a session.

I enabled in firewall discard ping from wan side and that's fixed it :)

I would advise against using the NB9W. I have installed one for a friend and have one for myself. Although it is stable most of the time, there are a couple of issues which are really giving me the sh!ts!!!

- The latest firmware release (which is a year old) resolved a few issues with VOIP and introduced some extra functionality. However, Call Number Display is no longer working and Netcomm has offered nothing to resolve this. The only option is to revert to the previous firmware and go back to the other issues.

- The NB9W has a habit of losing all of its settings when powered off. This can be very painful when you have lots of port forwards and other customisations. Regular backup of the config is essential with this router, but the backups don't always restore properly and are not compatible with different firware versions.

- The NB9W is prone to interference from electrical devices in the home. When using the VOIP feature, you will hear an annoying click when on the phone everytime an electrical appliance or device is switched on or off. This includes light switches, refrigerator motors, air conditioners.